In A Surprise, Travelport Inks Pre-Deadline BA Content Deal

Travelport made a surprise announcement this month that it has signed a new full-content deal with British Airways until 2013. The agreement, which covers travel agents connected to both the Galileo and Worldspan global distribution systems, takes immediate effect. Opt-in levels established by Travelport for U.K. agents in March 2007 remain unchanged. In general, these fees are £0.50 to £1 and are passed on by many travel management companies to their corporate clients.

The predecessor to the new deal was not to expire until March 2010, around the same time that BA's current deals with the two other major GDSs, Amadeus and Sabre, also finish. Some U.K. corporate travel buyers had expressed concern that opt-in fees would rise following some belligerence from BA about distribution costs.

In a statement, BA head of selling and distribution John Mornement said, "We have worked hard with Travelport to come to an agreement that will reduce both our distribution costs and ensure that agents continue to have access to our full published content, including our lowest fares, through Galileo and Worldspan."

Also in the statement, Matthew Hall, vice president of supplier business development for Travelport's GDS business in EMEA, said, "This deal with BA is further testament to our ability to reach sustainable deals that clearly demonstrate the long-term viability and importance of the agency channel."